Toll in mine blast climbs to 104
The death toll from a coal mine gas blast in northern China rose to 104 after rescuers found 34 bodies overnight, state television reported today.
The explosion hit the Xinyao mine in coal-rich Shanxi province late Wednesday. Police were trying to confirm the exact number of people working underground, but it had “seriously exceeded safety limits,” China Central Television said.
There were 15 survivors.
Police have arrested the mine’s head and legal representative, suspended its license and frozen its bank accounts, the official New China News Agency said.
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